BACKGROUND Our aim was to investigate whether total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) with remifentanil and alfentanil would ensure appropriate analgesia and recovery conditions in anaesthesia for children undergoing abdominal surgery. METHODS Sixty children, scheduled for abdominal operations were randomized to receive, in a double-blind manner, either remifentanil (loading dose 1 microg x kg(-1); maintenance infusion, 0.25 microg x kg(-1) min(-1)) or alfentanil (loading dose 50 microg x kg(-1); maintenance infusion, 1 microg x kg(-1) min(-1)) as the analgesic component of TIVA. They were combined with propofol (loading dose, 2 mg x kg(-1); step 1 maintenance infusion, 10 mg x kg(-1) h(-1); step 2 maintenance infusion, 8 mg x kg(-1) h(-1); step 3 maintenance infusion, 6 mg x kg(-1) h(-1)) neuromuscular blockade was with mivacurium. Dose changes of the drugs, the times from cessation of anaesthesia to extubation, verbal responses, recovery of ventilation, orientation, and qualification for discharge from the postanaesthetic care unit (PACU) were recorded. RESULTS Demographics, duration of surgery and anaesthesia were similar between the two groups. Times to extubation and stay in the PACU were significantly shorter in the remifentanil group compared with the alfentanil group. Quality of emergence (QE) from anaesthesia scale scores were higher in the remifentanil group compared with the alfentanil group. CONCLUSIONS Remifentanil provides a more rapid recovery and adequate postoperative analgesia after TIVA for paediatric abdominal surgery, compared with alfentanil.